Al-Qaeda-linked militants killed 15 soldiers in a brazen attack on a northern Benin army base Wednesday, the military said Thursday.
The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, JNIM, claimed responsibility for the raid on Kofouno, near Benin’s border with Niger.
The assault also wounded five soldiers, Colonel James Johnson told AFP, adding that their injuries were not life-threatening, and the army was pursuing attackers.
Military aircraft struck retreating militants, reportedly killing at least four, as forces launched a sweeping operation to secure the border region.
Wamaps, a regional security journalists’ group, said the base had been looted and torched, leaving behind devastation and scorched earth in its wake.
JNIM’s surge in West Africa coincides with instability in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, where coups and weak governance have fueled militant expansion.
Violence has increasingly spilled into northern Benin and neighbouring Togo, creating a growing hotspot for militant operations along the Gulf of Guinea.
Benin’s security forces endured a deadly 2025, including a JNIM assault in April that killed 54 soldiers, highlighting the persistent threat to the country’s north.
The government deployed a 3,000-troop anti-militant force in 2022 and recruited 5,000 more soldiers to reinforce its northern frontier and protect civilian populations.
Experts warn JNIM is increasingly recruiting locally, blending religious proselytising with logistical operations, and cementing footholds without controlling large territory.
Recent studies by ACLED and a UN Security Council report indicate the group has appointed an emir for Benin, signalling intent to consolidate influence.
The border triangle of Benin, Niger and Nigeria has emerged as a volatile zone, where security forces face the growing challenge of a ruthless and adaptive insurgency.